


Mundus Vult Decipi

by Soulmateshinki



Category: DBSK | Tohoshinki | TVfXQ | TVXQ
Genre: Canon Compliant, Drama, Established Relationship, Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-21
Updated: 2016-05-17
Packaged: 2018-05-28 04:17:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6314827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soulmateshinki/pseuds/Soulmateshinki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The boys are thrown into a whirlwind of a battle when Yunho becomes the target of an elaborate hate crime. With stakes so high and everything to lose, how can either of them walk away unscathed?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Love me or hate me, both are in my favor...If you love me, I'll always be in your heart...If you hate me, I'll always be in your mind.”  
> \- William Shakespeare

  
** “SM: TVXQ on indefinite hiatus; Choikang  
Changmin preparing for solo debut” **

After about the 30th push-up the body starts to become accustomed to the muscular strain and the mind begins to wander from the physical pain to other more worldly thoughts, regardless of whether or not one wants such mental freedom. Unfortunately, it’s the psychological distraction of exercise that Changmin had been more keen on tonight, something to center his mind and perhaps for a few hours allow him to distance himself from the present reality. His training regiment had become mundane by now and whether it was push-ups or pull-ups or crunches or any other exercise Jeawon suggested, his body and mind adjusted far too quickly for his liking. Far too quickly his own thoughts came crushing down on him. 

It had started only a week after Yunho’s discharge, the end of April, and Changmin’s heart burns thinking how Yunho must’ve known true happiness for only about 7 days after spending almost two years in the military. He bites down on his lower lip and furrows his brows, fully surrendering to his thoughts and relinquishing his body to the automatic movements of his routine.

The first accusation was an anonymous post on an online forum, something that had caused a ruckus within the fandom but was generally regarded as hearsay by most fans. The problem was, though, that the rumors weren’t targeted at the fans. They were targeted, to a large extent, at the general public and to those within the fandom who held a latent hate for the man, as a platform for them to build on.

Looking back on it now, Changmin thought, that really was all it took for the ball to start rolling down hill. The flimsiest and most baseless rumor was all that was needed to plant a seed in people’s minds, an opportunity for doubt to fester and eventually grow to overshadow almost 15 years' worth of knowledge. 

It was a deliberate and systematic deconstruction of an individual’s entire identity. It had to be. 

The post itself was blasphemous, so ridiculous that anger still surged through Changmin’s veins thinking that some low-life actually had the guts to write it. 

The poster introduced herself as a female college student, somewhere in her mid twenties and in desperate need of monetary support. That was the only part of the post Changmin could consider believing. She went on to explain that she met Yunho in a bar, one of the bars that he frequented with his friends, and that he had taken an interest in her. That part was already wildly illogical to Changmin, but he was Yunho’s boyfriend. The general public would have no such knowledge of this aspect of Yunho’s personal life. 

She claimed Yunho was “enamored” by her, so much so that he could not help but meet with her a few days later, which she had agreed to, keeping in mind the financial benefits of being friendly with a young millionaire.

“He seemed like the type of man that knew what he wanted and got what he wanted”. Evidently what he wanted was to not only have sex with a random young stranger in his own home despite his celebrity status but to also drug and sexually abuse her as well. “It was his hunger for power”, she professed, “his unquenchable thirst for dominance.” _Bullshit_.  

Changmin had to admit the scenario itself wasn't altogether too unrealistic for some celebrities. Having one night stands with attractive women wasn't a particularly uncommon practice in the industry, though it was usually in inconspicuous motel rooms and temporary apartments in foreign countries. Furthermore, there _are _monsters in the industry; people that would use, abuse, and discard others regularly while staying shielded behind their money and power. Terrible people aren’t a rarity in the entertainment world, or the world in general, no the real rarity is a good person. The real rarity is Jung Yunho.__

There were two glaring reasons why the story could not be remotely true. First, anyone and everyone who knew Jung Yunho knew the stringent code of ethics and virtue he lived every facet of his life by. He was, in every sense of the word, as “good” as a human being could possibly be, a glorious opposition to all the innate evil and sin that transpired in humanity. Second, Jung Yunho lives with his boyfriend, and, coincidentally, he and said boyfriend were busy with an entire day’s worth of intimate activities the day that the poster had claimed to have been in the house. Unfortunately, the second reason could not publically be used as a counterargument.

Overall the story seemed nothing out of the ordinary, another malicious fairytale strewn together by a exceptionally bored anti-fan. What was of interest though, and of concern, was the intricate details that laced the lies, details that Changmin could confirm were true. 

The girl had, somehow, managed to accurately state Yunho’s address as well as many features of his villa, including how the furniture were arranged and the colors of some of the rooms. The depiction of his boyfriend’s home and bedroom were chillingly precise. So, not just an anti-fan, Yunho had managed to somehow attract an especially creative sasaeng anti-fan. _Terrific_. 

She ended her post by saying that she had been given a generous sum of money in exchange for her time and her silence. Unsure of how to handle the situation, she had thought that forgetting about the unpleasant experience was the best thing to do at the time. Now, after thinking things through, she felt that it was “an injustice to Cassiopeia and to herself” to keep quiet and was, thus, morally obligated to expose the truth, anonymously so as to protect herself from societal ramifications of course. One had to commend her literary skills. The story portrayed a rapist, a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and his naive yet righteous victim rather fantastically. 

Changmin feels a droplet of sweat run down the bridge of his nose and drip on to the concrete floor below him. His mind slowly comes back to his body.

“One hundred and fifty.”  Finally putting his knees to the floor, he pushes off the ground with his hands and stands up, taking a few deep breaths to relax his body. 

“Don’t over do it,” Jeawon’s voice rings through the empty gym. He had been occupied with a particularly riveting volume of One Piece on the other side end of the room where the sofas of SM’s private gym were located. 

“I’m done for tonight anyway,” Changmin calls back, after chugging down the remaining water in his bottle, a TVXQ water bottle courtesy of the SM SUM shop. One can never be too narcissistic. 

Changmin begins his cool down stretches and watches as Jeawon jogs up to him, grinning widely. 

“Can’t wait to get home to the wife, eh Chwang?” 

“Yeah. I think I can get some cardio in at home, if you know what I mean.” Changmin smirks as Jeawon pulls an exaggerated face of disgust.

“Entirely too much information, but I brought it on myself I guess. So uh...how is he by the way?”

Changmin can feel the smile fall off his face and Jeawon looks regretful immediately. 

“Fine,” he answers, in the most reassuring tone he can muster and before Jaewon has the chance to apologize. Perhaps given enough time and the right amount of alcohol, he could talk to his dance coordinator turned friend about the situation properly, relieve some of the growing emotional baggage. He supposed he could talk for hours about his worries, about Yunho, about how frustratingly unfair everything was, but it would all come down to that one idea anyway; no matter what it takes, no matter what Changmin has to do, Yunho will be fine. 

“He’s fine,” Changmin repeats, finishing the stretches and collecting his gym bag, “or he will be fine. I’ll make sure of it.” 

If Jaewon had any doubts about his friend’s confidence, he was kind enough not to show it in any way. He smiles and heads back to the sofa he was lounging on previously.

“Well, I’m gonna finish this masterpiece before I head home.” He sinks back into the sofa and waves the One Piece manga at Changmin. “Give Yunho a kiss for me will you?”

“Sure thing, hyung.” Changmin laughs as he pulls his t-shirt back on, then hitches his gym bag on a shoulder and heads toward the exit. “See you later,” he calls back to Jaewon as he walks out and into the main SM building. 

Usually he would take a shower and change clothes in the locker room before going home, but tonight the need to see his boyfriend is overpowering. Changmin’s days had become monotonous by now, mornings in the recording studio, afternoons in the dance studio, and nights at the gym. Life wasn’t particularly different now from what it had been for more than 15 years, but this time there was the added bonus of being alone while dealing with an increasing sense of dread for the future. This is _not_ what 2017 was supposed to be.

Spotting a pair of SMrookies as he walks towards the garage, Changmin hopes his thoughts haven’t made his face look too menacing. He forces a smile as the two kids bow low and greet him with their high-pitched prepubescent voices before hurrying up the stairs to the trainee practice rooms.

Changmin remembers spending copious hours in those rooms himself, remembers being scolded by a certain boy in one of those rooms, and remembers figuring things out about himself in one of those rooms that scared the hell out of his younger self. It’s funny how one person, and that person alone, has the power to unlock certain ranges of your emotional spectrum that you had not known to exist previously. 14-year-old Changmin was overwhelmed with the emotions one 16-year-old boy had evoked in him, and 15 years later he is still quite overwhelmed. 

As he walks up to his white BMW, Changmin catches a glimpse of his reflection on the window and sees that a pleasantly besotted expression brought upon by his memories had ghosted onto his face. Settling into his car, he takes out his phone and takes a selfie of him puckering his lips, which he sends to Yunho along with “I miss you~”, and then proceeds to pull out of the parking garage, speeding towards home. 

**************

It’s about a 20-minute drive from the SM building to his flat, and as Changmin passes through the familiar streets, his mind starts to drift once again. 

The second accusation had come in the form of a video and if the first one had planted the seed, the second one willed it to grow profusely. The video was released about a month after the online post, May 30th, and featured a Japanese girl wearing large sunglasses and a surgical mask so as to mask her entire face.  

A voice changer deepens her voice as she explains her supposed encounter with Yunho. She states that she is in her third year of university and claims to have met Yunho through a call girl service. Apparently she had met up with him several times over the past two years. Most of the times the meetings were in hotels in Japan, usually in groups rather than just the two of them. She went on to describe wild sex parties and orgies that would last for hours on end, Yunho at the center of it all. His abusive and derogatory behavior towards the women were specifically highlighted several times, and she ends the video saying that she hoped “the world would finally see him for what he is”. 

Additionally, to add more substance to her accusation, she attached a picture of Yunho that she had snuck on one of the days that she met up with him, though there was a strict policy of no photography at these “get together”. Changmin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry upon seeing the picture.

It was a blurry zoomed-in shot of Yunho in a hotel corridor, arms full of to-go boxes and cheeks flushed from alcohol. Ironically, he’s wearing Changmin’s gray beanie, as well as his blue shirt, and Changmin himself happened to be in the hotel lobby, ordering a bottle red wine for room service. It was a hotel located a few miles outside of Nagoya and near a ramen shop that the two of them decided to visit given a free evening during TVXQ’s With tour. 

Along with the noodles came sake, and it took Yunho only a few sips to become adorably tipsy. To Changmin, there are only a few other things in the world as enticing as his partner’s reaction to alcohol, which brought upon Yunho a greater affinity for affection, a glowing pink complexion, and a general increased sense of cuteness. They had ended up driving to the nearby hotel to spend the night, a night of tender drunken sex as Sam Smith’s new album played in the background. 

Who had taken that photo of Yunho? The girl? A sasaeng? A fan that had happened to be at the hotel as well? Just a random person that recognized him?  How did the girl obtain the photo, then? Who even was the girl?

Changmin had mentally dissected that day numerous times, cataloguing every face he could remember, but no one stood out in his mind that could fit the appearance of the girl in the video or that of the typical sasaeng. It could be anyone. 

The photos that he himself had taken of the night were out-of-focus lewd shots of Yunho and himself, mostly nude and in rather erotic positions. Again, not something he could present to the public as a defense. 

Changmin’s hands are hurting from gripping the steering wheel so tightly, and he forces himself to take a few deep breaths to calm his nerves and shut off his thoughts. The last thing he needs is Yunho knowing how frightened he is. He is no longer a child, not a weak-minded little boy that has to hide behind the adults. He is a man, intelligent, capable, and someone who is strong enough to get them both through this fiasco, as dire as it is. After all, what is strength but a mindset? 

He parks in the garage of his high-rise a few minutes later and heads to the elevator, nodding to the night-guard on his way. Changmin’s flat is on the 30th floor, the highest residential floor, with only the recreational unit above it. With a spectacular view of Seoul, a spacious interior, extremely tight security, and only a kind elderly woman as his sole neighbor, the flat offered him the perfect amount of privacy and luxury. 

Usually, Changmin and Yunho took turns living together in either Changmin’s flat or Yunho’s villa. Fall and winter were spent in the former while spring and summer were spent in the latter. Changmin had insisted, though, that he and Yunho stay in his flat after the release of the first allegation post. As beautiful and homely as the villa was, knowing that a stalker might have been inside it was extremely alarming. No, he’d much rather his boyfriend stay in the flat. It’s blatantly isolated, the highest room in the tallest tower, away from society, but it is an oasis, a safe haven from the stress, danger, nuisance and intrusion of the world below. 

The elevator comes to a stop and the doors slide open, revealing a wide hallway with a door at each end. There is a guard on the opposite side of the elevator and Changmin gives him a polite nod as he walks to the door to his flat and slides the keycard to get in. 

“Honey! I’m home!” Changmin calls out in English as soon as he shuts the door behind him.

He hears Yunho’s signature “hahaha” ring out loudly from the kitchen and grins at the familiar sound. Putting his sneakers onto the shoe rack and collecting Yunho’s loafers from the floor to place there as well, he heads towards the kitchen, where the delicious aroma of food is wafting out of. 

Due to the current events, Yunho has been faced with an unprecedented amount of free time, which he has taken, true to his nature, as an opportunity to work on his weaknesses, cooking being one of them. His greatly improved culinary skills were quite probably the best thing to come out of this entire debacle. 

Changmin spots Yunho dicing garlic on the kitchen island, handsome face adorning a look of deep concentration as he tries to cut them as finely as possible. He’s wearing black and white plaid pajama pants, a thin white v-neck t-shirt, and a pair of pink bunny slippers. In addition, Yunho’s sporting a cooking apron designed to look like a French maid costume, purchased during one of Changmin’s many drunken online shopping binges. 

Changmin walks up behind him and wraps his arms around Yunho’s stomach, placing soft kisses from the bare part of his shoulder and up the side of his neck until he reaches the ear. “Hello,” he says, setting his chin lightly on the curve of Yunho’s neck and tightening his hold a little more.

There are very few sensations that life has to offer that can match that of being home, the feeling of immense relief as you find a place that you belong absolutely. 

“You’re home early,” Yunho replies, smiling and tilting his head to the side so he could brush his cheek against Changmin’s forehead. 

Changmin unwraps his arms as Yunho finishes cutting the garlic and moves to wash his hands.

“Did you get my text? I missed you,” Changmin whines and then puckers his lips to imitate the selfie he had sent. He had been determined to up his level of “aegyo” with Yunho recently, seeing how it usually evoked a smile or laughter. I miss you all the time, he thinks, but that’s a can of worms he’d rather not open right now. 

Yunho bursts out laughing and Changmin goes to undo the messy knot of the apron’s ties and pulls it up and off his boyfriend, turning him around to face him. Yunho leans back against the island as Changmin places an arm on either side of him, resting his palms on the edge of the marble surface. 

“I missed you too, Changdol.” He wraps his arms around Changmin’s neck and pulls him closer, until their foreheads are resting against each other’s. “You stink, baby.” 

“Right, because you aren’t used to the smell of my sweat,” Changmin says, taking his hands off the counter to grope Yunho’s backside. He goes for Yunho’s lips before the man has the chance to retaliate, sucking the rosy lower lip into his mouth and softly biting the flesh before opening his mouth to Yunho’s tongue as his boyfriend kisses him back. 

In these moments there is peace in the purest sense. Surrounded by each others warmth, there is a higher form of existence, no matter how much the world could conspire against them. 

_Hold on to me_ , Changmin thinks, _hold on to me and I will hold on to you, and everything will be ok._

One of Changmin’s hands slide under Yunho’s shirt and glide up and down the smooth warm skin of his back as the other one kneads his bottom. Lifting a hand from Changmin’s neck, Yunho runs it through Changmin’s hair, now quite long, and pulls on it gently, using the other hand to bring him even closer. A moan escapes his boyfriend as Changmin’s hand finds his nipple and caresses his soft chest. Changmin moves his mouth away to kiss wetly down the side of Yunho’s neck and rolls his pelvis forward, crotch sliding against Yunho’s and lust shooting though his body. 

“Ding!” 

Yunho abruptly pushes Changmin off of him and hurries to the oven. 

“Ah _shit_ I forgot about the bread!” 

“I—you—Wha...!?” Changmin watches through his lust-filled haze as Yunho turns off the oven and scurries around looking for the oven mitts. 

“Hyung please,” he moans, walking up behind Yunho, mouth finding the hickie he was working on earlier.

“Chang—ah—Changmin! Stop!” Yunho shakes him off again. 

“I need to take the bread out, and this is my third time trying to make the damn thing. I can’t let it burn again, Changdol-ah. Go take a bath, and then we can eat.” He turns around and kisses Changmin’s pout, as if that placates anything. 

“Let me help you take it out, and then we can finish what we started, _come on_.”

“No, I need to do it by myself, and the bread has to be observed carefully, make sure it’s not too soft and the right color and all.”

Changmin heaves a great sigh. Never mind what he thought before, Yunho’s determination to become a better cook was the worst thing to come out of the recent drama. 

“And anyway, you’ve been out all day, Changdol. You need to take a shower,” Yunho says, and then his gaze drops to Changmin’s raging boner. “Uh a cold shower.”

Yunho turns his back to him and carefully opens the oven door, fully concentrated on his beloved bread. Changmin groans, defeated, and more or less limps to the bathroom. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback/Comments are welcome :)


	2. The Fall

“No Jung Yun-Ho! No Jung Yun-Ho! Justice for Chang-Min! No Jung Yun-Ho” 

Yunho watches from the window as the congregation of young women five floors below, close to the entrance of the SM building, continue their chanting, several of them waving around banners or picket signs bearing the phrases in their chant or pictures of his own face with a red slash sloppily marked across it. 

“What the _fuck_ do they think they’re doing?” Yunho hears Changmin growl behind him. 

“Well, voicing their opinions, as you can see.” He rubs his face with hands and massages the temples, hoping to perhaps mollify the rising thrum of a painful headache that had steadily worsened as the day progressed. 

“Part of the AJYA I presume.”

“Don’t call them that! Don’t actually validate their pathetic existence!” Changmin fumes. 

_“Validate their existence?_ What, because them picketing out there isn’t enough proof that they exist?” Yunho turns away before Changmin can respond and closes the wooden blinds of the window.

“I think, Changmin, that they’ve done more than enough to validate their own existence, regardless of whether we choose to acknowledge them or not.”

The AJYA, or the Anti Jung Yunho Association, was established a couple of weeks after the video accusation went viral and right after SM’s official response to the scandals.

SM Entertainment had issued an investigation immediately after the first accusation, but the post was found to be made from a small pay-by-hour internet cafe, thus providing no way to identify the user. After the video was uploaded, Yunho didn’t need to hear the confirmation from the investigators to know that the same tactic had been used in that case as well. The face of the woman in the video was completely covered by the mask and sunglasses, and though police were able to bring her voice back to its original tone, undoing the voice changer effect, there was no way of putting an identity to a disembodied voice. Consequently, the only thing SM and Yunho could do was simply deny the claims. 

Yunho still remembers going through the comments from the public on SM’s denial. 

_**[156,460+, 10,199-]** I’m not saying that they’re lying but isn’t denying everything the obvious move? I mean it’s not like anyone was expecting them to just come out and admit to the claims right? _

_**[98,379+, 4,456-]** So…. they have nothing to refute the claims but their words….?_

_**[81,567+, 5,788-]** Hul...all of this is so weird. The girl in the post described his house to well…. was she right? Does his house actually look like that since they didn’t even deny it? How would she know unless…_

_**[77,460+, 7,899-]** He has to have a girlfriend right? Why doesn’t she come out and defend him? _

_**[75,869+, 8,679-]** Someone would go this far just to lie about him? Why? I’m so confused_

_**[23,457+, 6,789-]** You’re underestimating how hateful anti-fans can be _

_**[72,550+, 5,678-]** If he has a girlfriend or someone he’s dating, now would probably be a good time to reveal her_

_**[50,245+, 24,344-]** You guys are being fucking stupid. Nothing to refute the claims? Why should they have to? These people are writing complete fanfiction about him. His reputation has always been spotless!_

_**[46,133+, 7,444-]** Reputation doesn’t necessarily correlate accurately with reality. How do you fans know he’s not just been really good at maintaining an image? _

_**[10,878+, 2,099-]** Do you fangirls know him personally? ㅋㅋㅋ_

_**[65,002+, 5,700-]** ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ where are the loyal Cassies to defend him? _

_**[67,460+, 7,899-]** Damn, I always thought he was untouchable, but honestly you can’t trust celebrities. _

_**[47,60+, 10,632-]** I feel so bad for Yunho oppa. He doesn’t deserve this _

_**[40,460+, 10,225-]** Goodbye TVXQ~ I feel bad for Shim Changmin. _

_**[37,990+, 3,466-]** Fuck off, haters  
_

The sound of the door opening snaps Yunho’s mind back to the present, and their manager walks in with a disgruntled look on his face.

“You two saw the present company I’m guessing. Their timing is impeccable.” 

“Oh as if they didn’t manage to find out we have the conference today,” Changmin snaps. “Bunch of fucking st—”

“Speaking of the conference,” Yunho interrupts,” we have only about 20 minutes before we’re supposed to meet up with everyone.”

As if on cue, the sound of the protesters outside seems to become slightly louder, their chant filtering quite clearing through the room.

“Changminnie, will you go help calm the ladies down,” Yunho asks.

“No.”

“The security guards don’t seem to be having any luck, and we don’t want this situation to escalate too far. Go dismiss them politely before the reporters start showing up.”

“No.”

“Changmin…”

“I don’t want to see their faces, hyung. I don’t want to recognize them.” 

Changmin feels Yunho’s gaze studying him as he stares at the white tiles of the floor. He didn’t want to be able to recognize the faces. Many of his more dedicated fans were present so often, in the front rows of concerts, at every fan-signing and every fan-meeting, that he had inevitably become familiar with their faces. The thought of seeing one of those faces in the crowd below made him queasy. Not that he wasn’t aware that his own fans made up a sizable portion of the AJYA, but he wasn’t ready just yet to witness the physical proof. 

“There’s no reason to antagonize them, Changmin. They’re just as confused as we are, and they only want what’s best fo—”

“What’s best for who? Me? Of course they do because they’ve never really given a shit about TVXQ have they? God, and this overwhelming sense of entitlement, thinking they somehow have the right to have a direct hand in almost every asp—”

“Changmin this is not the time,” Yunho cuts his rant short, rubbing his temple with the base of his palm and looking warily at their manager. 

“Hyung, I’m gonna head upstairs. I want to wash a bit before the meeting.” 

Their manager nods and goes over to pat Yunho’s back and puts an arm around his shoulder, pulling him in for a half-hug.

“I’ll see you later, Yunho-ah. Text me. I’ll go check on the situation downstairs.”

“I’ll go with you,” Yunho hears Changmin say and looks up to see his boyfriend putting his sunglasses back on. He shoves his hands in his pocket and walks out of the room before Yunho has the chance to say anything to him. Their manager gives Yunho one more pat on the back and follows Changmin out.

Pulling on his blazer, Yunho heads to the 6th floor, where he and Changmin were to meet with Lee Soo-Man, Kim Young-min and several SM directors in less than 15 minutes. 

The meeting had been called to order after the recent “sasaeng leak”, a term coined by the public after a 200 MB file had popped up anonymously online a week after SM had released their denial of the accusations against Yunho. The file contained around 100 sasaeng taken pictures of Yunho with his various female friends, both celebrities and non-celebrities, spanning over several years. 

Though it was of no surprise that Yunho is an exceptionally sociable individual, befriending people fairly easily regardless of age or gender, in light of the recent events, the pictures were not looked upon in a particularly positive light. This was evident by the comments that plagued the articles that had proliferated in response to the photos. 

_**[95,056+, 6,800-]** So many female friends…. he’s definitely comfortable around women isn’t he ㅋㅋㅋ_

_**[67,115+, 5,780-]** Honestly, can a man and a woman ever actually be only friends?_

__**[63,334+, 5,023-]** Of course they’ll all say that they’re just friends. When are celebrities ever honest?  
**  
[59,117+, 5,560-]** He could easily be more than friends with at least some of them right? He definitely looks close enough, and they’re all so pretty. 

_**[58,609+, 6,188-]** “Friends” .... sure_

_**[49,503+, 4,400-]** As a man, I can honestly say that men never just want to be just friends with pretty girls. Don’t be naive. He’s a red-blooded male too.  
_

A picture can speak a thousand words, but, unfortunately, sometimes those one thousand words can make for a wholly inaccurate story. 

Most of the pictures were taken when Yunho had been with a group of friends, yet the photos were taken, or cropped, to show only him with one or more of the women in the group. Ironically enough, several of the women in the pictures had boyfriends, or girlfriends, who were actually present at the time as well. 

Some of the pictures were taken at odd random moments, happenstance encounters in restaurants or convenience stores with acquaintances or colleagues. Some, still, were genuine outings with close female friends, people that he had been able to maintain valuable friendships with despite the chaos of the entertainment industry. To Yunho, the idea that a man and a woman could not maintain a sincere but platonic relationship was absolutely absurd, a backwards way of thinking that cheapened some of his most priceless friendships.

Though many of his friend had publicly called out the misleading nature of the pictures, the air of doubt never really left the public. 

Yunho goes into the restroom close to the room in which the conference will be held and splashes his face with cold water. Sleep hadn’t been an especially easy feat these past few weeks, and he had been left in a perpetual state of haziness. He spots Changmin walking out of the elevator as he leaves the restroom.

“How’d it go?”

“They dispersed for the most part,” Changmin replies brusquely, not taking his eyes off the games he’s playing on his phone. 

Yunho reaches out and strokes his boyfriend’s hair, carding his fingers through the short strands. Changmin was still finishing his police duty, and the meeting had been scheduled to coincide with one of his breaks.

“Thank you, Changdol-ah,” Yunho says softly, gently tugging at Changmin’s ear. 

Changmin finally looks up at him and slips his phone into his back pocket. He opens his mouth to say something, but the doors of the elevator slide open once again, revealing Lee Soo-Man and two other middle-aged men in gray suits, presumably directors of the company. 

“Ah right on time, boys,” Lee Soo-Man calls out to them. They bow low to the founder of their company and follow him and the other two men into the conference room.

There is a large rectangular mahogany table in the center of the room with several leather office chairs lined along the edges. People are occupying most of the chairs and Soo-man takes a seat at one end of the table, gesturing for Yunho and Changmin to take seats on either side of him. Yunho settles down on chair to the left of their boss, and Changmin pulls a chair up right beside Yunho, making room for himself between his boyfriend and a stocky female director who gives him a judgmental glare for squeezing his chair in and making her move her own more to the side. 

Young-min, who is seated on the other end of the table, clears his throat loudly to call for attention.

“Alright then, I suggest we get right to the point?” He looks to Yunho, who gives him a nod.

“We are here today to discuss the immediate future of TVXQ in light of the recent—uh—developments.” He opens a black binder and skims through a few pages before looking up again.

“The question on hand, ladies and gentlemen, is whether or not we should maintain the TVXQ comeback slated for September, taking into account the current state of the fandom as well as the general public perception of the members.”

The lady next to Changmin is the first to speak up. “Allow me to be blunt and say that it should be obvious to everyone here that keeping the September comeback is highly illogical.” 

There are a few nods from around the table as the woman looks around and then proceeds to straighten her posture and continue. 

“First of all, I think it is evident that the TVXQ fandom is more torn than it has ever been since 2010. True, there is still a strong fan base, but in its weakened state, is it wise for us to rely on it for a hugely successful comeback, keeping in mind the time, money, and resources that would be spent. Is it worth it at the moment? In my opinion it most certainly is not.” 

“We already cut Yunho’s solo for those reasons,” Soo-Man replies, “but to delay Dong Bang Shin Ki even farther? Their last proper comeback was more than three years ago. A more prolonged hiatus would only serve to weaken the fandom further.”

“Well, Dong Bang Shin Ki has two members, might I remind you,” an elderly man in a beige suit sitting across from Yunho speaks up. He looks pointedly at Changmin. “And that’s one of the perks of being in a team is it not? When one member is down the other one can carry the name for the time being.”

Yunho watches as a deep red flush washes over Changmin’s face and neck. His hands are balled tightly on his lap, and Yunho reaches over under the cover of the table to place his own hand over Changmin’s fist in an attempt of silent comfort.

“A solo would not be carrying the name,” Changmin all but spits out.

“It would certainly do more than a complete hiatus would do. You would be staying in the public eye as a member of TVXQ and maintain relevancy for both the band and yourself. Not to mention, with a successful solo you would garner more fans who may help to support Dong Bang Shin Ki in the future as well.”

“A solo debut would be completely counterintuitive to what we have been planning for the better part of three years,” Changmin retorts, “completing my service early, applying for the police, everything thus far has been in order to plan for the shortest possible hiatus period for Dong Bang Shin Ki, and now you all are suggesting that we let be in vain?”

“Well, Changmin-sshi, not everything has been going according to plan has it? And it certainly isn’t our fault.”

“Are you suggesting that it’s Yunho’s fault!?” Changmin looks livid, and Yunho grips his hand tightly to calm him down. 

“No, of course not. All of this is rather unfortunate, but what can we do other than hope investigators can find something?” 

“Even if the investigations are fruitless,” A slender middle-aged woman seated beside Young-min begins, “I believe with time everything will blow over. Give the public more time to forget this ordeal or at least let it become less flagrant in their minds, and then we can plan for a comeback. In the meantime, Changmin-sshi, can we count on you?”

“The public never forgets anything,” Changmin grumbles. 

“You can,” Yunho replies to the woman, “I agree that a solo for Changmin is the best option right now. There’s no reason for both of us to stay in hiatus. He can—”

Changmin stands up suddenly, pulling his hand out of Yunho’s grip, face still flushed with anger, and glares at his bandmate.

 _“Don’t make decisions for me_ ,” he mutters harshly. He looks at Young-min as if to say something but then presses his lips in a thin line and storms out of the room, rage almost visibly radiating off of him.

“What a short meeting. Still quite immature isn’t he, considering his age,” Young-min reproaches after Changmin leaves the room, “I recall him throwing somewhat of fit regarding the timing of his enlistment as well.”

“I apologize,” Yunho says, bowing his head slightly, “Dong Bang Shin Ki means very much to the both of us, and he’s just extremely frustrated with the situation. Please excuse his behavior. He only wants what’s best for the band, and he’s a hard worker, as you all have seen over the years. I’m certain he’ll do his very best in a solo debut.”

Lee Soo-Man reaches over and places a hand on his shoulder, “Yunho-ah, are you ok with this?”

“This is the right thing to do for Changmin, and for the future of Dong Bang Shin Ki so, yes,” Yunho smiles, hoping it doesn't look nearly as forced as it feels, “I am absolutely ok with this.”

***********************************************************************************************

The sound of the shower running can be heard through the bathroom door as Yunho walks into Changmin’s master bedroom. 

“You’re not done yet,” he calls after knocking on the door a couple of times. 

“Can you bring me a fresh towel? I forgot to bring one with me.”

Picking up a clean towel from the closet, Yunho walks into the master bathroom. Grey marble tiles cover the floor and walls, and at the opposite end of the room there are clear glass doors that lead to the shower area, covered fully with black slate tiles. Three square shower heads attached to the ceiling are raining water onto Changmin’s long, lean, and naked body. Behind him is a large one way tinted window, displaying the dazzling night time scenery of Seoul and its lighted buildings. 

Changmin spots Yunho and turns his body to him, running a hand through his wet hair and grinning.

“Sure you don’t want any of this?”

“Aren’t you a prune by now,” Yunho laughs and walks up to the glass doors, setting the towel on a wall rack. 

“I got lost in my thoughts.” Changmin turns down the water and opens the door to face his boyfriend, shaking his soaking hair at him. Yunho laughs again, and Changmin reaches out to cup his cheek with a wet hand.

“Hey! You’re getting water all over me.”

“So how about you just go ahead and take a bath. There’s smudges of flour and whatever else all over you anyway.”

Yunho looks down to inspect himself before walking into Changmin’s arms.

“This isn’t just a ploy to get me into the shower with you,” he teases as Changmin pulls his t-shirt off, closes the glass door, and turns the water up again. 

“I won’t stand for such accusations, hyung,” Changmin mumbles in his ears and pull him under the pouring warm water. 

Changmin had the square showerheads installed specifically because the water comes down like rainfall, and as his lips find Yunho’s, it’s easy to imagine that they are kissing in the pouring rain. Pulling down Yunho’s pants, he breaks the kiss and rests his forehead on his boyfriend’s, shielding their faces from the water. 

He stares into Yunho’s beautiful dark eyes, watches as droplets of water fall from his eyelashes and off the tip of his delicately perfect nose. _I love you so much_ , Changmin’s thoughts resound through his mind, filled with love and lust. Yunho smiles and comes closer for a kiss, closing his eyes and connecting their lips once more. Running his hands down Yunho’s waist to his hips, Changmin moves him backwards until he’s pressed against the window and steps away to angle the shower towards that way as Yunho leans his head back to rest against the glass.

“Hmm, you keep stopping…,” Yunho pouts at him, quirking an eyebrow higher, body a breathtaking silhouette against the moonlight and skyline. 

Changmin steps in front of Yunho and lets the water cascade against his back. “Sorry, it won’t happen again,” he says and drops to his knees, kissing down Yunho’s stomach, hands moving to caress the muscled thighs.

“Really, we probably should’ve done this after dinner,” Yunho murmurs as Changmin sucks at the skin near his groin, “ you must be hungry.”

“Oh, hyung, I’m famished,” Changmin replies with a smirk before fully occupying his mouth with arguably one of the most enticing parts of Yunho’s body.

********************************************************************************************************

“Be honest about how it tastes. I want criticism, Changdol.”

They are seated at the dinner table, Changmin wearing only a pair of ash satin pajama pants and Yunho in black boxer briefs and the top to Changmin’s pajama set. 

“Maybe slice the beef slightly thinner and add a bit more soy sauce and garlic to the japchae but the vegetables are very nicely cut, well done,” Changmin says through a mouth full of food, giving Yunho a thumbs up, “and the red bean bread is so perfect I should ask you to marry me.” 

Yunho beams at him, and Changmin tries not to choke on the food as the familiar butterflies flutter in his stomach. Perhaps one day in the distant future his boyfriend’s smile won’t render him so helpless, but it is a phenomenon he’s gotten used to for the past 15 years. 

“So, what did you do today? How is your preparation going?” 

“We got the B-side tracks picked out, and I’ve almost finished recording all of them. Jongseok hyung wasn’t there today so I ended up worked out with Jaewon hyung. I’m done writing the first single and working on finishing the second one. Like I’ve mentioned before, the first one’s alternative rock, and the second one’s got a R&B vibe.”

“I can’t believe I don’t get to listen the singles.”

“Hyung, it’s a surprise~.” Changmin leans back on his chair, plate cleaned. “I could actually really use your help learning the choreo though. I think Jaewon hyung’s getting a little frustrated with me.”

“But you’re a great dancer.”

“Sure, but you’re the best teacher and performer. I need my king of the stage to follow.”

Yunho grins at him, cheeks colored a light pink. “Maybe I should stop by sometime.”

Other than honing his culinary skills, Yunho had been volunteering at a collection of his favorite charities both in Seoul and in Gwangju, helping out at church, and spending plenty of time with his family. At home he read self-improvement books and had spent some time writing, composing, brainstorming and fine-tuning discography and choreography for a future TVXQ comeback, but Changmin had noticed that Yunho actively avoided going to SM. Perhaps the place brought upon a sense of disappointment, uncovered the frustration and anger that he had been working so hard to bury these past few months, so Changmin never really provoked the topic no matter how much he missed having Yunho near him all the time.

“Only if you want to, hyung,” Changmin gently assures him.  

“I do miss the studio, I guess, and the staff too.” Yunho stands up and stretches his long limbs. “Actually, I was thinking about helping out with training and monitoring the new batch of trainees. Lee Soo-Man songsaengnim suggested it.”

“Really? That’s great! I agree with him.”

Changmin collects their dirty plates, following Yunho into the kitchen where piles of soiled dishes are stacked haphazardly in the sink. 

“How does cooking two items entail dirtying so many things,” he chides, turning the water on, but he’s still too giddy from the thought of Yuhno being close to him during the long hours in the studio to actually be upset about the mess. 

“There was a lot of measuring and transferring….and I messed up a few times too,” Yunho replies guiltily, and Changmin bites his own lips trying not to smile at the older man’s contrite pout. 

“How about we put cleaning the dishes off till later though, Changdol-ah, and watch some One Piece right now?  We never did finished season 8.  Tomorrow’s Saturday, right? So, you won’t be leaving until at least noon?”

Drying his hands after cleaning his and Yunho’s plates, Changmin leaves the rest of the clutter and nods happily. It’s obvious from Yunho’s voice and expression that he’s missed spending time with Changmin just as much as the younger man missed being with him. This week, especially, the two had barely seen each other, with Yunho spending time in a charity camp in Gwangju for half the week and Changmin leaving for practice before 7 in the morning and coming home near midnight. 

After washing up for bed together, Changmin follows Yunho into his bedroom and rummages through his DVD cabinet to find the season 8 One Piece DVD as Yunho puts the pillows at the foot of the bed and wriggles in underneath the comforter to lay on his stomach, chest and arms propped on two pillows. 

Starting episode 243 on the 90” flat screen TV mounted on the wall opposite to the king-sized bed, Changmin slides under the comforter beside the other man, propping himself up on one elbow to angle his body towards his boyfriend. One hand moves under the covers to rest on top of Yunho’s firm bottom, and Yunho moves closer to Changmin’s chest, nuzzling at Changmin’s neck before pecking his lips and focusing his attention on the screen. 

Changmin kisses the scar beside his boyfriend’s eye and hugs him closer. “I love you,” he whispers close to Yunho’s ear, as if it is a precious secret, as if people are eavesdropping on them.

Yunho smiles and leans his head sideways to bump softly with Changmin’s, eyes still focused on the T.V, “I love you more.”

 _Impossible_ , Changmin thinks, _I love you, have always loved you, more than you can ever even begin to imagine_ , but he keeps quiet and tears his gaze away from Yunho and to the gang of familiar animated characters on the television screen.


	3. Never Again

The rhythmic noise of mechanical whirring breaks through Changmin’s slumber, and he awakens in a cramped but familiar hospital room, surrounded by beige walls and white machines. The various tubes and cords stemming from the medical equipment around him all extend to attach to the person lying pressed against him on the narrow hospital bed, and the panic pulsing through Changmin’s body intensifies as he focuses on Yunho’s sickly face. With pale skin, lips tinged blue, and deep dark circle beneath his eyes, Yunho is unconscious and hooked to a feeding tube. Changmin runs a trembling hand across Yunho’s forehead, wiping away the cold perspiration, anxiety and terror gripping his body in a paralysis. 

“Hyung…,” Changmin croaks, and his voice sounds distant and muffled to his own ears. Everything seems to be basking in a haze, but Changmin knows exactly where he is: Seoul National University Hospital. Room 314. 

The steady piercing beeps of the heart monitor cuts through his mind consistently as Changmin wills himself to prop up on one elbow, studying the large stains of dried blood and vomit on Yunho’s shirt.

His bandmate looks so terribly frail and drained, weaker than Changmin had ever thought possible for someone as tough and resilient as Yunho, and a dull fear-induced pain shoots down Changmin chest, stomach churning in nausea. Life, even one as robust as Yunho’s, is so very delicate.

 _It isn’t supposed to be this way though_ , Changmin’s mind screams, _he should’ve gotten better over the night._

A hand strong jerks him upright as he’s about to reach out to touch Yunho again.

“You need to leave now, Changmin-ah. Go back to the dorm.”  Changmin looks up to see their old manager scowling at him from beside the bed. He twists his hand out of the man’s grasp and tries to protest, but the ability to speak seems to have abandoned him. The world around him is fading quite quickly, becoming evermore shrouded in a foggy veil, and the only thing clear is the increasingly loud noise of the heart monitor. _Beep, beep, beep._

The door is abruptly flung open, and several white coated doctors storm inside, faces covered in green surgical masks. Before Changmin can move, he is hustled off the bed and shoved toward the door. The heart monitor sounds thunderous now, each incessant beep resounding and reverberating almost painfully through his head, shaking his entire body.

“Yunho!” Changmin manages to cry out, finally finding his voice, before he is pushed out of the room. The last thing he hears is the sound of the heart monitor flat-lining, the beeps now melded together in one single deafening noise. Changmin cringes on the floor as the sound seems to rip through his eardrums, tearing apart everything inside his head, and then the door is slammed shut behind him.

Silence. There is sudden complete silence, and Changmin watches as everything around him fades too swiftly to black. The darkness falls over him like a thick blanket, over his mouth and nose, smothering him. He feels his energy ebbing rabidly, mind becoming more and more disembodied.

 _Yunho, Yunho, Yunho_ , his thoughts echo distantly, _I won’t leave you._

There is a sudden blinding flash of light, and Changmin blinks a few times to focus his vision. Heart hammering and covered in a sheen of sweat, he looks around him, trying to catch his breath. Grey and cream colored walls, black furniture, it is his own bedroom. Looking to his side, Changmin sees Yunho sleeping peacefully beside him.

Relief washes through Changmin’s body as he takes in the beautifully serene sight of his boyfriend, hair tousled and pink lips slightly parted as he sleeps on his stomach, head resting on his own arm. Yunho looks warm and full of life, and Changmin buries his face on the back of his neck, embracing the man close to his chest.

It was just a dream, a nightmare. 

Still bogged with sleep, Yunho mutters something under his breath and throws an arm over Changmin’s middle, patting him a few times before his breathing evens out again.

Changmin lies facing his boyfriend, one arm still wrapped around him, head resting on his own bicep as his fingers play with Yunho’s dark locks for a while, willing his heart to calm down. The satin pajama shirt had fallen off Yunho’s shoulder in his sleep, exposing the soft smooth flesh below. The tan Yunho had procured during his military service had faded within only a few weeks of his discharge, skin returning to its natural fairness.

"Something like that will never happen again," Changmin whispers to Yunho's sleeping form, "I'll protect you."  

Beams of sunlight are spilling through the spaces between the thick embroidered curtains covering the floor-to-ceiling windows behind Changmin, illuminating the room in a warm morning glow.

Numerous black and white photos of various sizes are framed to decorate the wall behind Yunho. Pictures taken by Changmin, artistic photographs showcasing his talent with the camera but, more so than that, these photos in particular were a manifestation of his heart and soul, arranged for and meant to stay within the privacy of his bedroom.

The largest of the photographs is one of shirtless Yunho standing in the balcony of Changmin’s penthouse holding Mandoongie, hair in an up-do, sculpted back turned to the camera as he looks out into the cityscape _. "Family, mine, future, forever"_ resonates through Changmin’s entire being every time he sees the photo, always bringing about a feeling of tranquility yet passion, a sense of purpose.

The silver wall clock above the photos shows that it is barely seven o’clock in the morning. He really should let Yunho sleep longer, but there are still specks of ice dotting Changmin’s heart, leftover from his nightmare, that must be taken care of.

Changmin kisses Yunho’s bare shoulder and moves out of his hold, turning the man gently to lie on his back. With his hands resting by his head, hair disheveled, and the shirt slipping off his left shoulder, the top two buttons undone, revealing most of his chest, Yunho looks innocently alluring.

Changmin runs his fingers through Yunho’s bangs, pushing them away from his face before leaning down to press a kiss onto his forehead, trailing down the bridge of his nose to bite softly at his lower lip. He feels a hand on his head as he nuzzles into the warmth of Yunho’s neck.

“What time is it,” Yunho drawls, eyes still closed.

“Just past seven,” Changmin replies.

Yunho looks up at him, finally blinking his eyes open.

“In the morning?”

“No, in the evening. We’ve slept through the entire day.”

 Changmin laugh as Yunho actually seems startled and looks to the clock before relaxing again.

“Don’t be an idiot, hyung. We’ve got almost three hours before either of us have to get up,” Changmin grins, undoing the remaining buttons of Yunho’s pajama top.

Yunho stretches his arms above his head, arching his back slightly before sinking into the mattress again and yawning.

“Three more hours of sleep, then,” Yunho teases, closing eyes with a smile. Changmin leans down for a deep kiss.

“Like hell,” he mumbles into Yunho’s mouth, sliding a hand inside the other’s boxers.

 

* * *

 

He’s had versions of that nightmare several times before but none recently.  Each time it was a warped version of the events surrounding Yunho’s poisoning incident, either not getting to the hospital in time and watching him die from vomiting too much blood or his health deteriorating in the hospital instead of improving or any other painful twist that left Changmin scarred and shaken. It was the single most traumatic event in Changmin’s life, watching the love of his life skirt disturbingly close to death, and perhaps he should be a lot more thankful for what a blessing the rest of his life had been apart from that.

Changmin had stayed with Yunho the whole night in the hospital, the only member to do so. He had laid pressed against Yunho after the nurses had cleared out, stayed wide awake observing the rise and fall of his chest and the slow return of color to his cheeks, gripped Yunho’s cold hands and prayed to every higher power he could think of. It was sometime during that long night that his 18-year-old self finally accepted himself and the fact that he was unconditionally in love with a man, surrendered to the idea that Yunho was never just a friend, never just a hyung.

 _I won’t run from it anymore_ , he had promised God, _and I won’t ask for anything in return either. I will just love him genuinely with everything I have, so, please, don’t take him away from me._

He hadn’t been able to keep his promise entirely though, hadn’t been able to not ask for anything in return, and he wonders if God somehow wants compensation for his broken contract.

Slipping his phone and wallet into his pocket, Changmin walks into the breakfast nook where Yunho is piling slices of strawberries onto his pancake. Coffee and a bowl of milk and cereal is waiting for him on the other side of the table.

“I’ve been thinking; It’s probably better if we go to the studio separately,” Yunho declares as Changmin sits down.

“What? Why?”

“We should try to keep our distance from each other in public, Changdol-ah, just for the time being. Let’s not do anything that could hurt your comeback.”

Changmin glares at him. “Seriously, hyung? I’m not allowed to interact with my bandmate anymore?”

“I don’t really have the best image right now, and we’re supposed be living separately, anyway,” Yunho replies, shoveling a piece of pancake loaded with strawberry slices into his mouth. “I’d rather not give the public a chance to blame you by association right now.”

“People are going to think I hate you, like I believe what’s happening.”

“The most important thing right now is your career, Changmin. This is your first solo ever. The world needs to see what you’re made of, how talented you are, without any unnecessary prejudice to blind them.”

Yunho continues before Changmin can protest.

“This mess will get sorted out, don’t worry.” He reaches out and places his hand over Changmin’s. “We’ve never cared too much about what people think about our relationship, have we? As long as you’re here with me, everything’s fine.”

Arguing with someone as stubborn and hardheaded as Yunho is usually a lost cause, so Changmin just nods and chugs down the rest of his coffee before heading towards the door.

“You’re mad,” he hears Yunho walking up behind him as he ties his shoelaces.

“No, I’m bursting with joy.” Changmin stands up and adjusts his jacket, back turned to his boyfriend. Yunho’s arms wrap around his stomach and pulls him tightly against his chest for a back hug as Changmin opens the door. The anger dissipates all too quickly as Yunho kisses the back of his neck and ear. _It’s almost embarrassing how much I like you_ , Changmin muses, a smile spreading over his face. He turns around in Yunho’s hold and presses his fists against Yunho’s cheeks, gently mushing his face together.

“You’re so annoying,” Changmin sighs, and Yunho purses his lips at him, cheeks still squished between Changmin’s hands. Rolling his eyes, Changmin leans in to meet Yunho’s lips, but his boyfriend jerks away from him suddenly, looking alarmed and pushing him to the side.

“Good morning, ajumoni,” Yunho greets, bowing to Changmin’s elderly neighbor who had come to the doorway. Changmin had forgotten that the door was open.

“Good morning, Yunho-ah,” she smiles and lifts the jar in her hand, “I made some extra strawberry jam. You liked it so much last time you came over.”

“Ah! Thank you! You really didn’t have to trouble yourself.”

“No trouble at all. Who else is going to appreciate the cooking of an old maid like me?”

“Thank you, ajumoni.” Yunho takes the jar, hugging her as Changmin bows again and thanks her as well before she heads back to her flat, and Yunho pushes Changmin towards the elevator.

Changmin often wonders what his neighbor thinks about the relationship between Yunho and him. Perhaps she thinks they’re family, or especially close friends. Who knows, she might actually know the truth. The elderly have a way of being unexpectedly perceptive, but, whatever the case, it warms Changmin’s heart to see how much she adores Yunho. Whatever it is that she thinks about them, he trusts her and her genuine kindness.

 

* * *

 

“Ok, I’m gonna be honest. It’s kinda really gay.”

“Thanks, I tried my best.” Changmin smirks and takes his lyrics journal back from Kyuhyun as Minho guffaws.

“Like, you might as well straight out say Yunho hyung’s name in the song as well. No way they’re going to approve that, dude, not until you sprinkle in some female pronouns or something.”

“I personally like the song a lot, hyung,” Minho chimes in, shoving two donut holes in his mouth.

“I like the song too! I’m just saying that I don’t know how SM would feel about Chwang voluntarily outing himself like this,” Kyuhyun laughs.

Changmin leans back on his chair and studies the lyrics again. The three of them are in one of the SM lounge rooms, going over some of the songs in Changmin’s album, his main single in particular. The song is a sensual R&B ballad, showcasing a fairly wide range of his vocal ability, and he had both written and helped to compose. As his first promoted single, Changmin wanted it to be personal, wished for it to be a true piece of him rather than yet another generic love song like the ones he had spent almost a decade and a half of his life singing.

“Maybe I’ll revise some lines, but I’m not adding in female pronouns.”

"Yeah! Stay faithful to your man, Changminnie hyung,” Minho shoots out a fist for him to bump, which Changmin ignores.

The door opens and Changmin’s manager along with another tall and burly man walk in.

“Changmin-ah, I wanted to introduce you to your new bodyguard, TaeWoon. Myunghwan will be around also, but, as I’ve said before, he’s got some of the new boys to deal with too now,” his manager explains as Changmin shakes hands with a rather timid looking TaeWoon.

“TaeWoon doesn’t have much experience as a bodyguard, but I’m sure he’ll work hard. He’s a friend of Myunghwan’s, actually.”

TaeWoon still looks a bit nervous but nods ardently and Changmin smiles, giving him a thumbs up, “I’ll try not to be too much trouble TaeWoon-sshi.”

 

* * *

 

Yunho watches carefully as a group of young trainees go through a few selected performances, studying and mentally archiving their style, technique, and execution. After each dance the trainees gather around as Yunho gives a detailed critique of each of their performances. It feels good to be back in the practice rooms and in his element once again.

They are almost done with the fourth song when Yunho spots Changmin, Minho, and Kyuhyun huddled together, waving at him through the glass portion of the door.

“Uh good work, everyone. Let’s take a half hour break.”

A chorus of “thank you, sunbaenim” rings out as the group bow to him before dispersing and the Kyuline trio walk inside.

“Hyung! Long time no see.” Minho pulls him into a hug, thumping his back lightly a few times. Kyuhyun follows suit, and both put one of Yunho’s hands around their shoulder, exaggeratedly cuddling up to him from both sides and smirking at Changmin.

“No more room, Chwang.”

Changmin rolls his eyes at their antics as Yunho throws his head back and laughs. A series of vibrations from his pocket stops Yunho as he’s about to say something, and a wave of uneasiness rolls through him as he takes his phone out to see 10 text messages from an unknown number.

“Oh shit,” Minho whispers as Yunho opens the messages. They are all picture messages, all of the same jarring image, a gruesome dead body, blood spilling from the numerous wide gashes marking its neck, chest, and stomach. Yunho’s face is neatly photo-shopped onto its head.

 

 

 

  

* * *

 

 

  

(Changmin watching Yunho sleep after he wakes up from his nightmare) 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are welcome :)


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